Good Advice Much Needed.....

[ScreamingMisfit]

i am having trouble getting my male bci to eat and he seams to be loosing weight ..everything in his enclosure is optimal
day:89-91 f night 87-89 f
72%humidity durring the day 60% at night he is 7.5' and used to be a garbage can eating everything in sight now he has gone 2 months so i am starting to worry all my other snakes are eating perfectly never missing a meal ...i had him to the vet (Anderson Vet Clinic in whitby) and he got a clean bill of health and the vet said his feeding strike will pass but i am starting to worry..hes not loosing "alot" of weight but i interact with him multiple times a day so i notice these little things... any suggestions on curving this strike would be much appreciated

p.s.i have tried all the feeding tricks (dark hid over night,fresh killed ,f/t (always got f/t/) , braining the rat, rabbits (he usualy likes them),degues, i even tried a chicken to see if he was interested in it, i tried rubbing a frog on the f/t rat (can't remember who told me this but it has worked b4 on a ball python that didn't eat for 7 months b4 i got it ,and thanks to whoever that person is ) ..im just at my wits end i am getting too worried for my own good .....someone please stear me in the right direction....

thanx

[Stockwell]

Boas of numerous species will go off feed in the breeding season..We're right in the middle of the breeding season now...
I love when my male snakes go off feed..It means you can pack more to the females...
Don't worry about it...Males need to be lean and mean.. They breed better that way, and they live longer.. I'd say there is 99% chance it wont starve to death.
I have some male sand boas(E conicus) that only eat a few times a year.... talk about low maintenance. Male Ball Pythons and numberous others often go several months without eating.

[ScreamingMisfit]

thanx for the input Roy you have kinda taken a load off my back now that someone has told me what i was thinking was the problem it kind of puts my mind at ease thanx again

Jay

[Invictus]

Yes, it definitely could be the season, BUT... You said you interact with him several times a day... this could also be the problem. That's mauling, not handling. Even BCIs can get stressed when they are over-handled. Limit your handling to one session per day MAX, and no more than 15-20 minutes. You'll probably find he'll go right back to eating.

[Jeff_Favelle]

..everything in his enclosure is optimal day:89-91 f night 87-89 f

I do hope that you have a gradient in your cage and temps aren't just 90F during the day, and 88F at night. That's not good enough. That snake needs a refuge area of 78-80F. I'm hoping you just failed to mention this in your description of your optimal conditions.

Also, boas are INSANE feeders. I find more harm is done than good when people try to muck around and try every trick to get it to eat. It'll eat when its ready (provided the cage conditions are correct).

:D

[ScreamingMisfit]

Jeff Favell .....lol yeas ofcource there is a gradient ...lol sorry i only posted the temps in the hott spots

cool spots: day-77-80f same at night

Invictus : i am sorry i think i have missled you , i interact with him multiple times a day but only hold him max once a day if that. :)

hope that clears the air

caio
i am going to try feeding him again in about 20 minutes

[ScreamingMisfit]

awsome news he just eat a 2.5lb rabbit he wouldn't be bothered with the super jumbo rat i offered himf first so i will keep him on rabbits from now on ......thanks for all the advice Roy,Jeff and Invictus

[Invictus]

Rabbits are like steroids for snakes anyway. They're a lot cheaper too. By all means, keep him on rabbits if that's what he likes. :D

[ScreamingMisfit]

i plan on it , there is a little old laidy close by who i get my rabbits from i guess now i will be buying rabbits for him to ....lol she will like that .....:) thanks again everyone who replied!!!